An adviser to Ukrainian Interior Minister, Anton Gerashchenko, has demanded on his Facebook page that journalists – especially Russian – do not disturb him concerning missing Russian journalist Andrey Stenin.

"As soon as we find him, dead or alive, we will inform the
media. Meanwhile, I am asking reporters, especially Russian ones,
not to disturb me on this matter," Gerashchenko posted on
the social network.

In the video interview to channel 112 which was attached to the
post, Gerashchenko repeatedly mispronounces
Stenin as “Senchin,” and describes the journalist’s
photos of injured soldiers – quite typical pictures from a war
zone – as “the photos of tortures.” Then, Gerashchenko
goes on to say that “those aren’t photojournalists, those are
accomplices in the crimes of terrorists.”

Earlier on Saturday, the adviser told the same channel that
Stenin was on the wanted list.

Stenin is an experienced photojournalist working for Rossiya
Segodnya news agency. He has been reporting from numerous
conflict hotspots in Ukraine, but contact with him was lost
August 5.

International journalist organizations have expressed concern
over Stenin’s disappearance. The OSCE representative on freedom
of the media, Dunja Mijatovic, called for Stenin’s “immediate
release,” stating that the “dangerous practice of
detaining and abducting media workers is unacceptable and must
end.”